


A Whisper of You

by almwolfhunter07



Category: The Dragon Prince (Cartoon)
Genre: Additional Warnings In Author's Note, Halloween, Implied/Referenced Suicide, M/M, ghost au, just mention, no depiction, will make it clear
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-10-31
Updated: 2020-10-31
Packaged: 2021-03-09 03:46:48
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 8,966
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27307939
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/almwolfhunter07/pseuds/almwolfhunter07
Summary: The small town Rayla moves to has a dark past. When she suddenly begins to see this figure lurking around, she is pulled into the tragic story of Callum Sky, a highschool freshman who met an untimely end. Can she figure out a way to help this lost spirit to give this haunting tale a happy ending?A ghost au no one asked for. Story for Halloween, so please enjoy!
Relationships: Callum & Rayla (The Dragon Prince), Ethari/Runaan (The Dragon Prince)
Comments: 9
Kudos: 18





	A Whisper of You

**Author's Note:**

> CONTENT WARNING:
> 
> THERE IS MENTION OF SUICIDE. PLEASE DO NOT READ IF IT IS TRIGGERING TO YOU. NO GRAPHIC DEPICITIONS ARE MENTIONED
> 
> I'll mark in the story where suicide is mentioned using ***, i want everyone to approach this safe as it is not a light topic. For everyone who stick around, thanks for reading.

Rayla sighed as she looked out the window while on the road to her new house. After her parents had decided to stay overseas, her adopted dads, Runaan and Ethari, who have been looking after her ever since, decided it would be best for a change of pace. This “change of pace” happened to be a small town called Katolis, located in the middle of a dense forest, so basically in the middle of nowhere. While the scenery was nice on the way in, Rayla couldn’t help feeling the dull ache of boredom she was no doubt going to face while she lived here.

“Well, Rayla, are you excited to see the new home?” Ethari called from the passenger's seat, holding open an old fashioned map, because she and Runaan were too scared to teach him about Google Maps. 

Rayla put on her best smile. “Oh yeaaah, getting away from Silver Grove will be nice, I think. A change of scenery was always good.” Right?

Ethari laughed. “Oh, Rayla, please. Runaan and I know that voice from anywhere. Trust me, darling, I’m sure you’ll make some good memories here. Just give it a chance, ok?”

Rayla sighed. She could never get anything past Ethari. “I’ll try Ethari, I promise.”

Runaan grunted. “I think this will be good for us. Don’t worry, Rayla, Ethari and I spent hours looking for this house. I know you’ll love it. In fact, we’re coming up on it right now!”

As he said that, the trees parted to reveal a few houses that were lined up on the side of the road. A sparse row of trees and neat white fences separated each. Runaan began to slow down and pulled into a driveway of a cute little cottage house, painted a soft blue. Window boxes were lined outside each window, a colorful array of flowers planted in each one. A white, wraparound porch led to the back, which dipped down and met the woods. Rayla blinked as Runaan pulled to a stop. This place was actually… really nice.

She got out of the car and looked around, breathing in the mountain air. Immediately she was reminded of Silver Grove. Like Katolis, it was nestled in the woods among the mountains. She glanced around, enjoying the forests that surrounded them, it was so peaceful.

“Rayla, come help us get our luggage out. The moving truck won’t be here for another two hours, which gives us time to explore the town some before the hard work begins, but we have to make room for our groceries!” Runaan called, pulling out her suitcase, along with his. 

She rushed over and took the luggage from him, helping walk it to the house. Runaan fished the keys from his pocket and unlocked the door. The inside was, as expected, barren, but she knew Ethari, ever the interior decorator, would have this place feeling like home in no time. She walked around, finding where the bathrooms were and the different closets nestled in the crevice of the house. It had three bedrooms, one that would act as an office for Runaan and a spare room whenever her parents got the chance to visit. 

Ethari walked past her as she looked around and grinned. “We chose this place because it has a room with a balcony that looks out straight to the woods! We know how much you love nature, so it’s all yours!”

Rayla’s eyes widened. “Really?”

“Of course, Moon ray, we know this is a hard move for you. We wanted you to feel as comfortable as possible. Now, go ahead and look around, come find us when you’re done so we can get ready to head to town.”

Rayla nodded as Ethari stepped into another room just down the hall, most likely the master he and Runaan would share. Smiling softly, Rayla opened the door leading into the last room she hadn’t yet explored, the one Ethari had mentioned. It wasn’t the biggest room in the world, but Rayla could care less, because it made up for it in view. As Ethari had mentioned, a porch looked out upon the rolling hills. From the house, you could see over the tops of trees and over to the mountains on the horizon. Gently placing her stuff down, she walked over and wrenched the doors to the porch open. 

“Wow…” Rayla breathed, looking around at her surroundings. 

As she gazed upon the landscape, something caught her eye. A figure was standing on the very edge of the forest, just out of view. At first Rayla thought it was a deer, but the longer she looked, she realized that it was the figure of a teen, maybe someone around her age? She wasn’t sure, and as she blinked, the figure was suddenly gone. Rayla blinked again, rubbing her eyes. Man, I must be tired from the car ride…

Shaking her head, Rayla went back inside. Just before she closed the porch doors, she glanced back out at the forest, wondering if what she saw had actually happened. 

~~~

Rayla had to admit the scenery outside of Katolis was impressive. The endless trees created the illusion that you were far from any civilization, when in reality, the town was only about 10 minutes from her new home. Rayla sighed as she continued to stare out the window, she had a feeling she would be seeing this same route a lot. As she began to drift off into her own world, a blur flashed by that caught her attention. She turned to see what it was, but by the time she looked, it was already long past. Rolling her eyes, Rayla turned to rest her head on the window again, before a figure made her look up once again.

A gasp escaped her mouth when she finally got a good look at the figure. It was a boy, around her age, with shaggy brown her and glowing green eyes. How she was able to tell what color they were from the brief glance was beyond her, but somehow she knew they were green. Even weirder, she was sure that that boy had been the one lurking in the woods behind her house, but how had he gotten all the way in front of them in such a short amount of time? Unless Rayla was going crazy. She turned to her adoptive fathers. 

“Hey, uh, did you guys see anyone on the road just now?” Please say yes, please say yes.

Runaan turned towards her, a weird look on his face. Fuck. “You must be tired, Rayla, there wasn’t anyone on the road.”

“Yeah, tired… It was a long car ride.” She murmured, looking down at her hands. But she knew she saw that boy. At the house she may have chalked it up to being sleep deprived, but two instances? And this time it was so clear, it was definitely not a freak occurrence, whatever it was, it was following her.

~~~

Katolis was actually pretty cute. Most of the town consisted of a town square with small shops, boutiques, and even a cozy looking bakery. Side streets stretched out from the center square and lead into more of a residential area. A grocery store was located on the road that they drove on to get into town. Ethari assured them they would go there before returning, but first they had to stop in town hall to get their mail key and check in with Runaan’s new job. 

Ethari pulled into a parking spot in a small parking lot located behind a couple of shops. Immediately Rayla hopped out and stretched her arms. She glanced around, looking for any sign of that mysterious boy she kept seeing, but was relieved when she saw nothing. Whoever it was, they seemed to be gone… for now. 

She followed Runaan and Ethari around the square, listening to their excited chatter as they looked at the new shops. Ethari became very interested in a jewelry shop and remarked about possibly working there. Rayla thought it was a good idea, it would be good for him to get out of the house, especially with Runaan working and Rayla starting school in a week. The other shops were just as cute, if not more so. Rayla noted a bookstore that she would definitely be frequenting, especially with the bakery just next door. 

After they were done sightseeing, they made their way over to the courthouse, a large, limestone building with a giant statue that welcomed anyone who walked up to the front door. Rayla caught a sight of the name as they walked past: Glen Katol, the founder of the city and apparently a renowned US army General in the Civil War. Rayla hadn’t heard of them, but he seemed to be well liked, according to the regal way in which he stood. 

The hallways were stark marble, with gleaming grey floors. Columns boxed out sections of the wall and the space in between was filled with news articles displaying the town's history. All the way up from 1870, when this small town was founded, to just 5 years ago. Plaques were engraved in the marble, explaining the significance of the moment. Not much of it was terribly impressive, really encapsulating the small town vibes. There were plaques detailing the first fair, the first time the mayor changed, when the center square was built, among other things. 

Runaan told Rayla to wait while he and Ethari went and filled out some paperwork, and so she decided to read up more on the town’s intriguing history. Who wouldn’t want to know about the first harvest within the orchard? Rayla rolled her eyes, smirking as she read the captions of some of the town’s “achievements”. Her smile suddenly disappeared as she got to the most recent one.

***Tragedy has Befallen Our Town  
Written by: Frank Zanz February 1, 2017  
The town of Katolis has woken to a devastating tragedy. The fourteen year old son of Mayor Harrow Sky, highschool freshman, Callum Sky, was found dead in the Biology department of Katolis High School on the morning of January 31st. Police believe the teen had taken his own life, though are unsure of the reason. His family has yet to speak out, but after a quick interview with his closest friend at the time, Claudia Burne, it’s reported that Callum was a shy kid and didn’t have many friends. Even so, he was beloved by many and has many loved ones that will never forget him. He will be remembered for his caring and selfless nature, as well as his incredible artistic ability. The absence of his bright personality that brought many of us joy will be felt throughout the town. It is a sad day in this community that once believed itself to be unshakeable. ***

Below the article showed the picture of Callum Sky, and Rayla could hardly believe what she was seeing. The boy in the grainy photograph was no doubt the same boy she had seen behind her house and on the highway, meaning that Rayla had supposedly been seeing a ghost this entire time. A ghost that had met a tragic end, it seemed. Rayla suddenly felt sick to her stomach, it hadn’t been an illusion afterall. This ghost, Callum, had taken an interest in her for whatever reason and Rayla was beginning to wonder what the exact reason was…

~~~

Today was Rayla’s first day of school. She would have liked to have a normal response and say she was nervous about starting school in the middle of the first semester in a place that already had established groups, probably with people who had known each other their whole life. Instead, she was almost giddy at the idea that she was going to be able to explore the mystery of Callum, the boy who had taken a strange liking to her. He liked to hide from her, though he never came into her house, which she was grateful for. It felt weird to be so used to him being around her now, not everyday you had a ghost stalker, but it was almost kind of cute? 

Callum would often stare at her with this blank expression, watching her every move. Some would think it was weird, but Rayla found it charming in a sense, almost like a lost puppy. His stark green eyes would glow, as though he were excited about something. Like, a few days ago, when Rayla had brought out a painting set and sat down on her porch, he floated a few paces away, his green eyes glowing in excitement. Rayla laughed at the puppy dog expression, and even had asked him if he liked art. He didn’t say anything, but his eyes spoke a thousand words.

Afterwards, she left the painting out to dry and spotted him staring at it every now and then. Slowly but surely, she felt like she was beginning to understand him, from the painting to the small acts she saw him do. He often followed the squirrels around as they collected their nuts, or would come and admire Ethari’s freshly baked goods that he set out to cool. It became increasingly clear that Callum wasn’t any vengeful spirit, just a curious one, who had this mysterious sad look in his eyes. Though, considering how he had passed, Rayla supposed she couldn’t be too surprised.

As she walked down to where the bus would pick her up, she realised that she was going to the place where it happened. She glanced over to where Callum floated a little ways away, wondering if he would be alright, surely he knew where she was going. When the bus pulled up, she checked again, but was unsurprised to see that he had vanished, best he did not remember things that bring up those memories… Do ghosts have memories of their old life?

She walked onto the bus and looked around, the kids didn’t really pay her any mind, sides the few glances that came with her being a new student. There was only one seat at the back of the bus that was open. Rayla slid in next to the other girl, who had long, black hair, dyed purple at the ends. 

“Hello! I’m Claudia, what’s your name? You’re new here, right?” She asked gleefully, and Rayla began to relax at the warm greeting. 

“Yeah, this is my first day. I’m Rayla.” She said, trying to sound nonchalant about it, but sweating on the inside. You got this, Rayla.

“Hi Rayla, it’s so great to meet you. So, what brings you to our small town of Katolis?” She glances over with a smile.

Rayla smiled back. “Oh, ya know, my dad’s wanted a change of pace and scenery, so we packed up and moved out here. They grew up in a small town themselves, so it only seemed appropriate that we moved to another one.”

Claudia nodded along. “That makes sense. Well, welcome to all of you, I’m sure you’ll love it here, we’re a very close community.”

Rayla smiled and nodded her thanks before turning to look at her phone. Ugh, 7:45am was just way too early. Resting her head against the seat, Rayla dozed off, listening to the ruckus of the busy bus. She was shaken awake sometime later by Claudia, just as they were pulling into the school. Rubbing her eyes, Rayla looked out the window across Claudia, blinking awake as she saw the building. It was a relatively decent size, you could tell the town spent a lot of money on it. Large double doors set to the side of the building were propped open, filtering students in. Rayla blinked as she followed the rest of the kids out of the bus as they shuffled out.

“Oh, Rayla, I meant to ask, my dad is the superintendent of the school, so I basically know the whole place like the back of my hand, did you want me to show you where your classes are during zero period?” Claudia asked as they exited the bus.

Rayla furrowed her brow. “What’s zero period?”

“Oh, it's just the time after the buses let us off and the classes start, it's about 30 minutes long. Do you have your schedule yet?”

“Uh, no not yet, I think I need to go to the office first?” Rayla glanced around, hardly listening to Claudia as she nodded.

“I can show you where that is, follow me!” Rayla glanced over as she waved and began walking off to the right. Figuring it was best to have someone show her around, she followed after.

When she got to the office, she quickly got her schedule, and they started the tour, walking first to where her lock was located. As they got to the locker bay, however, Claudia took one more look at her locker assignment and froze. Rayla looked over, surprised to find Claudia’s face wracked with grief. 

“Hey, are you ok?” She asked, worried.

“Ye-yeah, it’s just, you’re locker… used to belong to a friend of mine.” Claudia explained, giving Rayla, what she assumed was a reassuring smile. 

“Oh… what happened to your friend?” Rayla asked, now curious.

“Uh, well… he… passed away a few years ago.” Claudia murmured and looked away.

Rayla blinked. “Oh, I’m sorry to hear that… what was their name?” Now she was very curious.

“Callum Sky.” Rayla felt her heartbeat increase tenfold just then. She gulped and prayed that she didn’t look too shocked at the news. This was the Claudia Burne that had been friends with Callum? Rayla had to try and find out more, maybe Claudia could help her. 

“Well… I hope they found peace, wherever they are…” Rayla glanced down respectfully, but when she glanced back up, she saw Callum himself floating behind Claudia, staring at her, his eyes dim.

Rayla gasped, quickly covering her mouth with her hand when Claudia gave her a weird look. “Rayla, it looks like you’ve seen a ghost.”

Rayla could have laughed at the irony if Callum floating right behind her wasn’t so unnerving. “Yeah, you could say that.”

Claudia blinked, clearly confused. “What do you mean?”

Rayla sighed, glancing once more at Callum. He tilted his head, as though questioning if she was going to tell his old friend about him. Welp, here goes nothing. “Listen… Claudia, I know we just met, and this is going to sound really weird, but…” She bit her tongue.

Claudia frowned. “Well, what is it?”

“I think… I mean, I know… Dammit, Claudia, I can see Callum’s ghost.” Welp, that was one way to let the cat out of the bag.

However, instead of the teasing or disgust, or even the anger of giving Claudia false hope, Claudia instead looked unfazed. Actually, she looked happy and relieved. “Oh my gosh, are you serious?”

Rayla blinked. “Uh, yeah. You know, you’re taking this much better than I expected.”

“Oh my gosh, Rayla. Listen, I know right now you’re probably really confused, I’m sorry, just let me catch my breath before I explain.” She breathed in deeply, Callum still staring at them with his intense green eyes. “Ok. You see, after Callum… passed… there had been rumors of him sighted around town. A ghost hunting team even came to the school to see if he was still around. They didn’t find any evidence, and many people stopped believing in the rumors, but I didn’t. I had a feeling, given how he left this world, that he might have some unfinished business he needed to attend to. I hadn’t heard any rumors in so long, I began to wonder if that idea was just bogus, but hearing you admit you can see him, it means so much to me!”

Rayla smiled listening to her. It was clear that Claudia had loved Callum, that they had been close when Callum was still alive. And she was relieved that this weird scenario could bring someone joy. She glanced over at where Callum had been floating, only to find him gone. Briefly wondering what had happened to him, she decided to let it go so Claudia could pull her down the hall to find her first class. Along the way, she told Rayla about Callum and who he was, as well as regalled Rayla on all their adventures. As she listened, Rayla felt a tinge of sadness blossom in her, Callum sounded like such an amazing person.

~~~  
It had been two weeks since Rayla had seen Callum last. She had mentioned it to Claudia, who seemed a bit disheartened, but chuckled to herself, mentioning that even alive Callum liked to escape from the spotlight anytime he could. She bet Rayla he would be back soon when he had time to collect himself. It was a strange comment to make about a ghost, but Rayla supposed Claudia knew Callum more than she did. 

The two walked down the hallway to where Soren waited. Soren was Claudia's older brother and also the captain of the football team. The two of them had met during his practice a week ago. Claudia had been tasked to pick him up and Rayla figured she would tag along since she had nothing else to do. 

Soren was nice, a bit quirky and energetic, but good spirited. Rayla had at first hesitated telling Soren about Callum, but figured if they had been friends, he had the right to know. Thankfully, Soren hadn't been judgemental or anything, more so he was excited to hear that his friend was still around. 

Rayla waved as they neared Soren, who just gave her an answering grin. "Hey Rayla, is my ghost boy around?"

"Mm, no, he hasn't been around for a long while." She responded. "Not that I've seen anyway."

Soren shrugged. "I'm sure he'll come back. He seems to like being around you, so I'm sure he won't just up and leave yuh."

Rayla hummed, deep in thought. "I'm not even sure I want him to stay, is the thing."

Claudia and Soren glanced at each other before turning back to her. "What do you mean?" Claudia asked.

Rayla sighed. "It's just, with how he died, I've heard that ghosts become trapped in a place where they died in terrible ways; what if Callum doesn't want to be here?"

"I suppose that's true." Soren murmured. "Do you think there's a way we can help?"

Rayla shrugged. "Not sure, I've never helped a ghost before. I assume that we need to resolve whatever is keeping him here. Do you guys have any ideas what that might be?"

Just as they were about to speak, loud laughter sounded from down the hall. They all turned to see the jerk face himself, Kasef Mohammed, making his way towards them. Claudia gave him the stink eye while Soren and Rayla opted to ignore him. Though that proves hard to do.

As he walked past, he bumped into Rayla and turned, an ugly grimace on his face. "Watch it, loser."

Rayla rolled her eyes and shook her head at the attempt at an insult. Thankfully, Kasef and his goonies walked away without any more hassle, leaving Rayla, Claudia, and Soren watching after him.

"If I could bet money, he's the reason why Callum hasn't moved on. They guy used to bully Callum relentlessly. We never knew how much it affected Callum until that day… and even after everything that happened, he still picks on anyone he deems lesser than him, which is about everyone." Claudia sneered and crossed her arms.

"It's awful he continues to do that even after everything that happened." Rayla murmured, glaring after him.

"Whatever, let's forget about him. Hey, Rayla, did you want to go with us to the Grizzly's. It's a great pizza place just down the road from the school!" Soren grinned, his mouth watering just from the idea of pizza.

Rayla smiled. "Fine, yeah that sounds good."

She, Soren, and Claudia gathered up the rest of their stuff and headed out the doors. The pizza place really was close by, maybe a five minute walk from the school. The interior reminded Rayla of an old Italian kitchen, booths with red clothes were set up all around the dining room. Oil paintings of streets in Italy were hung up over every table, vines draped around them.

Soren chose a booth close to a window that looked into a separated dining room, probably meant for parties given the long table. She grabbed her menu, glancing at the options. When she looked up to ask Claudia's opinion on something, she gasped. Callum was floating on the other side of the booth, looking at her with his intense green eyes. He tilted his head, as though asking a question. Rayla blinked, wondering if he would disappear again, but he stayed .

"Rayla, are you ok?" Claudia's face suddenly appeared in her line of vision, startling her.

"S-sorry, I just thought I saw… nevermind." Rayla stammered, her eyes glancing behind Claudia, causing her friend to turn her head.

"Is it him?" Soren asked, leaning to the side to see if he could get a peak at his friend. 

"Yeah, he's standing, er, floating near the men's bathroom." Rayla said, not taking her eyes off the apparition. 

Soren and Claudia glanced at each other before both turning to look at the spot Callum was floating. Rayla couldn’t tell how Callum was feeling, given he never showed emotion. But, his eyes were glowing a warm green color, and Rayla had a hunch that he was happy to see his friends, if not nervous. She smiled at Callum and nodded, hoping to coax him over. Unfortunately, he didn’t seem comfortable enough, and after a few more seconds of attention from the three of them, he faded away.

“I think he’s gone now.” Rayla informed, picking up her menu to see what her options were.

Claudia and Soren turned back, a pout gracing each of their faces. “Do you think he was excited to see us?” Soren asked, hopefully.

Rayla hummed. “It’s hard to tell, he never shows emotions. But his eyes seemed to be lit up with excitement, so I think it’s safe to say he was very excited to see you.”

Claudia and Soren smiled at each other, each turning to their menus. As Rayla continued to look over her own, she felt a soft breeze flow over her, smelling of pine, rain, and a hint of charcoal. She had never known Callum, but she had a feeling if he was alive, this is what he would smell like. Rayla chuckled softly to herself, happy that Callum felt comfortable around her, and even more inclined to find some way to help him find peace in this life.

~~~

About a week later, Rayla decided to pay Soren a visit. She had heard everything she needed to know about Callum from Claudia, but she had never heard Soren’s side of the story. She found him where she thought he would be, outside the weight room, talking with a few of his friends. As she walked towards him, Soren looked over and greeted her with a smile and a wave. He said a few more things to his friends, waved goodbye and walked up to her. 

“Hey, Rayla, what’s up?”

Rayla smiled. “Hi, Soren. Listen, I know this is going to seem like a weird, and rather morbid, request, but I think it will do me some good.”

Soren blinked, confusion clearly written on his face. “Well, ok, what’s up?”

“Alright, I’ve decided that I want to help Callum. It’s not right that he’s stuck here without any way to finish whatever it is that’s keeping him here. It may be Kasef, but I need more to go off, so I was wondering if you… could maybe take me to the place where he died?” Rayla held her breath as she gazed up at his reluctant eyes.

“I don’t know, I hate going to that place..., but if you think that it will help him, then I’ll do all that I can.” Soren smiled, but the hurt was clear in his eyes. 

***He gestured for her to follow and lead her through the halls of the school. Rayla recalled that Callum was found in a biology classroom, so she assumed they were headed to the Science wing of the school. Just as she thought, they rounded the corner and began to walk up the stairs where the upperclassmen science rooms were located. 

“Callum used to volunteer for this one teacher, Mr. Ibis, a Junior year biology teacher. One day, he had told Claudia that he was going to volunteer after school like he usually did… and five hours later we found him dead in Mr. Ibis’ room. Huh, ever since then, I’ve been thinking back on all our interactions. I used to tease him a lot, it was never with any malice, but I can’t help but think I played a hand in his suicide…” Soren murmured, pausing on the top of the stairs. 

Rayla shook her head. “Oh, Soren, I don’t think that’s true at all. From what I understand, you and Callum had a great relationship, and I’m sure Callum viewed you like a brother.”

Without another word, he walks on, leaving Rayla to look after him, worried. He led her to a room with a sign on the window that proudly proclaimed it belonged to Mr. Ibis. Soren led her through the door that was just slightly ajar. The stark sent of sanitizer hinting that the cleaning staff had just left. The room looked like any other, lab tables near the back of the room, with desks lined up near the front, facing towards a white board. A large bird cage sat in the corner with not a bird in sight, most likely Mr. Ibis took him home after the school day.

Rayla watched as Soren walked in and paused before pointing to the back of the room. Rayla followed where he gestured, and blinked when he saw Callum standing at the other end of the room, his head down, looking at a specific spot on the floor. 

“That’s where it happened. I-I found him there after being let in by my dad. Claudia was worried, but we were still too late. By the time I got there, he had already passed…” Rayla could hear the shaking in Soren’s voice. For someone as strong as Soren being brought to tears by this, Rayla knew it must have really hit him hard, and really, why would it not. His best friend, someone he had considered a brother dead at his feet, anyone would be brought down by that.

Rayla glanced one more time at Callum before turning to Soren. “Thank you… for bringing me here. I know it has to be hard for you…”

Soren shook his head. “I just wish I could do more…”

As he said that, a cold wind blew through the room. Rayla and Soren shivered, turning swiftly as the door slammed shut behind them. Rayla turned back to Callum to see him staring coldly at Soren, his blank face made even more intimidating by his cold, emotionless eyes.

“Um, Soren… I think maybe you should-” Just as Rayla was about to tell Soren to leave and give Callum some space, he yelped in pain and stumbled away as though something had pushed him. One of his hands rested over his shoulder, as though he had been hurt. When Rayla went over to check on him, it turned out that he HAD been hurt. Three scratches ran down his shoulder, as though he got clawed by some beast. Rayla blinked, looking over at Callum who continued to stare at Soren, cooly. 

“Wait, Callum, stop!” She cried, running over to where Callum’s apparition floated. He, of course, didn’t answer, but instead his eyes looked over at her, immediately taking on that glowing look that Rayla associated with him being comfortable in someone’s presence. “Callum, please, don’t hurt him. Soren feels terrible about what happened, he never knew that the bullying was so bad, and he regrets not taking it more seriously, right, Soren?”

Soren nodded, still clutching his arm. “Callum… buddy… I-I’m sorry, ok? I’m sorry I never stood up for you when I saw you getting picked on in the halls, or said something to Kasef and the other jerks when they were going too far. I should have, and I regret everyday not doing more. I’m sorry I added to it, I never wanted you to feel like I was choosing their side, I’ve always been on your side, I need you to know that!”

Callum didn’t react to this piece of news. Instead, he just turned away and dissipated. Immediately, the air turned warmer and the weight in the room disappeared. Rayla took a deep breath before going to check on Soren. As she thought, he was still shaken, staring at the spot that Callum had stood seconds prior. “Soren… are you going to be ok?”

Soren mutely nods and lowers his head. They’re silent for a few more beats before Soren rises to his feet, still shaking. After a few more seconds of silence, Soren speaks. “I knew I had hurt him, but I don’t think I really understood how much. I know I can’t make up for all the damage I caused, but I want to help you.” He turned to Rayla. “It’s the least I can do.”

Rayla smiled. “I know I don’t have much of a place to speak on the topic, but I don’t think Callum blames you… He was scared and found someone he knew to lash out at. He doesn’t hate you, if anything, he was probably sorry for what he did, and that’s why he left.”

Soren hummed. “Maybe. Come on, Rayla, let’s get out of here, it’s creepy.”

Rayla nodded and followed after Soren.***

~~~

She saw Callum again in the library. He was turned away from her, facing a medal case. When she walked over to him, she saw that one of the trophies had fallen over, a name ingrained into the metal: Kasef Mohammed. She blinked, looking over to Callum. He seemed to be staring at the trophy, whether he had knocked over the trophy or something else had, it was clear that he felt uncomfortable. Of course he did, Kasef was the bully that had driven Callum to his fate. 

Rayla walked over, looking around to make sure no one was looking. She didn’t stare at Callum directly, instead she focused her attention on the trophy. She didn’t say anything for a little while, instead she stood and focused on the feeling of Callum’s spirit beside her. His presence was warm and welcoming, thankful of her being there. Finally, after so long, she spoke up.

“I want to help you, I hope you know that. Soren does too, he feels so guilty about what happened, he wants to make it up to you somehow, but we don’t know what you need. If there is anything we can do to help you finally move on, please, let us know.” Rayla pleaded, finally glancing over to where Callum’s apparition floated. 

He continued to look at the medal case, his eyes fixated on Kasef’s trophy. The longer he stared at it, the colder his gaze turned. Rayla wished she could pull him away, comfort him somehow. Instead, she looked at the trophy once more. After a few more seconds of contemplation, an idea popped into her head. 

“Callum… are you trying to say I need to settle things with Kasef?” She glanced over at him, only to see him now staring at her. The look in his eyes told her all she needed to know. Her resolve settled, she turned back to the trophy case and nodded. “Alright then. I’ll confront Kasef, it’s time to end his tyranny once and for all.”

~~~

Before she confronted Kasef, she thought it best to question Claudia and Soren about everything they knew. Not being there when Callum was alive put her at a disadvantage, but with Soren and Claudia’s help, hopefully she would be able to convince Kasef that his bullying was wrong. If all went well, Kasef giving up bullying is what Callum needs to feel ready to crossover. 

They met at the Sunforge, a bakery on the square, run by a couple: Amaya and Janai. When Rayla walked in, she was waved over by Claudia and Soren. She scooted into the bench, and Claudia pushed a latte towards her, her signature Brown Sugar and Maple blend. She hummed as she took her first sip. Rayla took in her surroundings, appreciating the warm atmosphere the interior invited in. The worn booths were proof of the hours of enjoyment people got from this place.

As they chatted, a woman came from a side door and smiled at them, before walking over. She was soon followed by another woman, her dark skin a stark contrast to the white walls. They walked over together, each greeting Claudia and Soren. It was clear that they knew each other. 

“Oh!” Claudia said. “Let me introduce you! Amaya, Janai, this is Rayla, the girl we’ve been telling you about.”

Rayla waved as both women smiled, “hello, it’s nice to meet you both.”

“My name is Janai, and this is my wife Amaya.” She gestured to the other lady. “We run this shop and have known your friends for a long time. It is a pleasure to welcome you to our bakery.”

“Thank you for having me.” Rayla lowered her head politely. With that, the two took their leave, heading into the back to start on other orders.

“They seem nice.” Rayla remarked, turning back to Soren and Claudia.

Claudia nodded. “Oh, they are, but that’s not the only reason we brought you here. They are Callum’s aunts.”

Rayla’s eyes widened. “Seriously?”

Claudia nodded. “Soren told me what you wanted to do, and I think it’s a great idea. Callum’s been wandering for too long, he needs to move on, we want to help as much as we can.”

Rayla nodded. “I came up with a plan, actually. You see, I saw Callum at the library and he made it very clear the one thing holding him back from crossing over is Kasef. I think he wants to make sure that what happened to him doesn’t happen again. So, I need to dissect your brains, tell me everything you can about Kasef, what motivates him, why does he bully others?”

Claudia sighed. “I wish I knew! He has everything: a loving family, a big house, tons of friends. An outsider looking in would say he has a perfect life, I don’t know what he could accomplish from bullying others…”

Soren hummed. “ There was one time… I don’t know if it means anything, when he used to be picked on himself, way back in middle school.”

Rayla’s brow furrowed. “Why was that?”

Soren shrugged and took a sip from his coffee. “I’m not sure, but I think it has something to do with being bad at soccer. It’s what he used to be in before he became a star running back on the football team. I wasn’t there when he played soccer, but I heard he got teased relentlessly whenever he would miss a goal or just mess up during a game.”

Rayla contemplated this. It would make sense that Kasef would pick on others to help improve the self esteem he lost during those middle school days. Whether it was worth bullying someone so much it drove them to commit suicide, Rayla had her doubts, but whatever the cause was, this was the best she had to go off of. She nodded her thanks to Claudia and Soren before they went back to their drinks. They stayed at the bakery until minutes after it closed. Claudia and Soren eventually got up, remarking about how they had some projects to work on, and it would be unwise for them to stay out any later. Rayla bid them farewell, and as she was cleaning, about to call Ethari to come pick her up, she heard someone approach her from behind.

She turned to see Amaya and Janai walking towards her, warm smiles on their faces.

“Sorry, I know you’re about to close. I was just about to leave.” She said as they stopped a few feet away.

Amaya shook her head and began to sign. Thankfully, Janai was there to interpret. “ Please, you don’t have to rush off. Janai and I just wanted to thank you.”

Rayla tilted her head, confused. “Thank me? What for?”

Amaya smiled, but Janai was the one to answer this time. “We heard what you were trying to do for our nephew… We were unsure when he first heard the rumors regarding his spirit lurking around the town, but it seems that they were true from what Soren and Claudia told us.” 

Rayla smiled, shyly. “I’m glad you approve… I don’t really know what started me on this, if I’m being honest, or why Callum decided I was the one he would show himself to. I just know that I wasn’t about to ignore someone in need of help.”

They both nodded, agreeing with that sentiment. With one final goodbye, and their best wishes, Rayla walked out of the bakery. She sighed and took her phone out of her pocket to call Ethari. As she was dialing, she felt another presence appear beside her, one that had become familiar now. Callum floated just a few inches from her, staring inside the bakery. Once again, his blank expression made it hard to decipher what he was thinking, but given the soft glow of his eyes, he seemed to be content. Rayla smiled at him. 

“Well, Callum, if you’re ready, I’m prepared to see Kasef.” Callum didn’t react for a long time, so long that Rayla almost worried he hadn’t heard her. Finally, though, he turned to look at her, and with his same blank expression, he nodded his consent. “Alright then, tomorrow will be the day.”

~~~

It was a cold and windy October day. One look at the calendar, and she realized that it was actually Halloween. Claudia had gushed about how it was perfect timing, that some would say that during this time of year is when the door to the spirit world was easiest to access. Whether or not that's true, Rayla had no idea, all she knew was today was the day Callum would be set free from this place. 

Speaking of Callum, the silent spirit followed her around all day. She was used to seeing him every so often, but today he was extra clingy, not leaving her side at all. It was kind of funny, she had to admit, seeing people shiver when they walked through him by accident, like that old saying of someone walking on your grave.

Rayla sat in the library after school, waiting for Claudia to tell her when football practice ended. She had already texted Ethari, saying she had an afterschool project and would contact him when she was ready to be picked up. Thankfully, he had bought it and readily agreed. 

Rayla was observing Callum floating off to the side when she received the text that football practice was wrapping up. The plan was for them to corner Kasef in a room alone, to hopefully have a civil conversation about what he has been doing. If anything was needed, Callum didn’t seem to mind sending in a chilly breeze or slamming some doors to get their point across. The time for this to end was now, and Rayla and Callum were both ready for it.

Everything went according to plan, the rest of the team filtered out of the men’s locker room, leaving Kasef alone inside. Rayla entered and silently locked the door when she was sure that no one was looking. Callum stayed close to her, but given how the air around her dropped 10 degrees, he was scared. They found Kasef at a locker, unbeknownst to what was happening. When he turned, he jumped at the sight of her. 

“What they hell are you doing here, you freak? This is the men’s locker room, or can’t you read.” Kasef snarled, slamming his locker shut.

Rayla rolled her eyes. “Shut the crap, Kasef, I could care less about where we are right now. All I care about is bringing you to justice.”

“What the hell does that mean?”

“It means,” Rayla clarified, “that I’m going to make you answer for the death of Callum Sky.”

Kasef scoffed. “I didn’t kill anyone! He killed himself! And why do you even care, you just move here!”

***Rayla scowled. “I care because I heard of an innocent boy, who had done nothing wrong, get robbed of his life. Driven to suicide from the relentless bullying you inflicted on him. How you continue bullying after what happened is just sickening!”

Kasef growled. “Listen, maybe I picked on the kid a bit too much, but seriously he should have grown some thicker skin.”

At this point it was clear what Rayla was saying wasn’t getting through to Kasef. Sighing, she looked over at Callum, who had been doing a good job of keeping his presence underwraps. Now though, after what Kasef had said, she could see him itching to let himself be known. She nodded slightly to him and turned back towards Kasef, whose eyes were flickering back and forth from where she was looking.

“What the hell are you looking at?” He asked.

Rayla smirked at Kasef, taking pleasure in the hint of fear that began to fester in his gaze. “I have a little friend that wants to say hi. I know it may sound crazy, but he’s been dying to catch up.”

Kasef went pale. “What are you talking about…”

As he spoke a cold wind whipped through the air, wrapping slightly around Rayla before bowling Kasef over. He stumbled back, eyes widening as the locker doors that had been open all slammed shut simultaneously. “What are you doing?!”

Rayla laughed. “Oh, it’s not me, it’s my friend. The same guy you said had to grow thicker skin. Listen to me Kasef, you may think your actions had no consequences, but you’re dead wrong. Callum’s friends, his family, his life, were all stripped from him. They grieve everyday because you were too weak to deal with your own insecurities without attacking someone else. You caused this, no one else, so you can sit there and say that it was Callum’s fault for not having ‘thicker skin’, but before you go and judge him, maybe try and look at yourself first.”

At this point, Kasef was crying. The cold wind continued to assault him, holding him down to the ground. He covered his ears as soft whispers began to fill the room. Rayla wasn’t sure what they were saying, but to Kasef they were loud and clear. Finally, Kasef broke down. 

“I’m sorry! Callum, if you’re really here, I’m sorry! You’re right about me! I was afraid, insecure about my own image so I took it out on you, and continue to take it out on others. I don’t even have a good reason for why I did it, but I’m sorry for what it caused. I’ll stop, I’ll stop picking on other kids, just please, stop reminding me of everything I hate about myself!” Kasef begged, squeezing his eyes shut.***

With that, the wind died down, the lockers stopped rattling, and the whispers faded away. Rayla looked around the room until her eyes settled on the quivering form of Kasef. Pity filling her up, she stepped to where he lay and offered him a hand. Kasef sniffed, tears still running down his face. When he saw her hand, annoyance flashed across his face, quickly replaced by gratitude. He accepted her help up, staring at her, a question on his face. She raised an eyebrow.

“What?” Rayla asked.

“How did you even know about Callum? It’s like you can communicate with him or somethin’.” Kasef asked.

Rayla shrugged. “I honestly have no idea, he just sort of appeared to me. Maybe because I was new to town, maybe he thought I was approachable. Either way, I knew I had to help him somehow.”

“That’s amazing… creepy and weird... but amazing.” Kasef remarked, blinking tiredly. “Well, I wish the best of luck to you… I think I'm going to go home and take a nap.”

Rayla didn’t say anything else, instead nodded and waved Kasef off. It was quiet in the room after he left, a peace had fallen over them, leaving Rayla breathless over what just happened. She turned to Callum to celebrate their victory, but stopped when she saw him. He was standing still, looking up at the ceiling, a peaceful look on his face. Never had Rayla seen him emote so much, it was almost unnatural. She slowly approached him, raising her hand, as if to touch him. He turned, just as she got within reach, and she yanked her hand back. A soft smile formed on his lips as his form began to glow a shimmering gold. 

Rayla stepped back as the ceiling above Callum seemed to open up to a white abyss. She watched as his form slowly faded, his eyes never leaving hers. As he disappeared, she swore she heard a vaguely male voice say “Thank you” before it was carried away by the wind. As Callum’s body finally faded entirely, she looked at the ceiling once more to see an older lady with dark hair welcoming Rayla’s friend in a loving embrace. Callum turned to her once more, though it was hard to see through the veil, she saw him wave goodbye before the scene itself faded. 

Rayla slowly raised a hand in farewell, a single tear dotting her cheek. She hadn’t realized this goodbye would be so hard. The feeling of Callum beside her had become a norm over the past month, suddenly having nothing there was almost scary in a sense. With a deep breath, Rayla lowered her hand and tucked it in her sweatshirt. “Bye, Callum, I’m… I’m glad I was able to help you find peace.

~~~

A year had passed since Rayla had helped Callum move on. Nothing had really changed, everyone carried on with their lives like usual. The only thing that even hinted at the events from a year prior were the soft smiles that Callum’s family and friends wore. When Rayla had stepped out of the school on that fateful night, Soren and Claudia could tell immediately that the deed had been done. They had held a mixture of emotions, some overwhelmed, but most happy their friend was finally at peace. Amaya and Janai had felt the same, happy their nephew finally crossed over. 

When Rayla had told them about the older lady who had welcomed them, she certainly didn’t expect Amaya to break down in tears. As she tried profusely to figure out what was wrong, Janai had shook her head and explained. That was Callum’s mother, Sarai, who had passed a few years before he had. It made Rayla glad to know Callum wasn’t going into this alone.

Claudia had invited her to a party on the East side of town, a sort of fall celebration. She said that it was for family and friends, and given what Rayla had done for them, she was now a part of that family. Ethari and Runaan had been invited as well, which Rayla was grateful for. When she finally told them about what she had done, they had first been surprised that such a thing was possible, but they were so proud of her.

They drove up the road where the party was being held. It was a nice neighborhood, situated right outside the town. The house they pulled up to was also grand, decorated with fall and Halloween decorations. Rayla smiled at the decor as she ducked out of the car and followed her adoptive parents up to the front door. They rang the doorbell and waited. Finally, someone answered, and Rayla’s breath caught in her throat.

At first there was no resemblance at all, but the more she looked at the young boy, the more he bore a likeness to Callum. This must be Callum’s brother, Ezran.

Claudia had told her about Ez after she had helped Callum crossover. Seeing him in person was a nice surprise. He welcomed them all in, stopping Rayla at the door. 

“I heard what you did for my brother. My dad and I wanted to say thank you. You came here knowing nothing about our family and you’ve already done so much to help. We’re really grateful.” Rayla was shocked by this young teen’s words, but smiled anyway.

“It was the right thing to do. I don’t know why Callum decided me of all people was the person he would appear to, but I’m glad I was able to help.” Ez smiled at her and ran back inside. Rayla started to follow him inside, but not before glancing to the sky once more. She smiled at the golden clouds as they raced across the hills, and she couldn’t help but think, for the millionth time since she had met him, what her life would have been like if Callum was alive. She shook the thought away and gently closed the door, making her way to her new found family.


End file.
